Charles Caleb Colton Quotes - Page 19

• Love is an alliance of friendship and animalism; if the former predominates it is passion exalted and refined; if the latter, gross and sensual.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Love, Passion, Lost Friendship

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• The policy that can strike only while the iron is hot will be overcome by that perseverance, which ... can make that iron hot by striking and he that can only rule the storm must yield to him who can both raise and rule it.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Perseverance, Opportunity, Yield

  Philip Dormer Stanhope (4th earl of Chesterfield.), Charles Caleb Colton (1861). “Lord Chesterfield's advice to his son on men and manners. To which are added, selections from Colton's 'Lacon'.”, p.161

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• In all societies, it is advisable to associate if possible with the highest; not that the highest are always the best, but because, if disgusted there, we can descend at any time; but if we begin with the lowest, to ascend is impossible.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Association, Impossible, Disgusted

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.22

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• The most consistent men are not more unlike to others, than they are at times to themselves.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Men, Consistency, Consistent

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.219

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• Heaven may have happiness as utterly unknown to us as the gift of perfect vision would be to a man born blind. If we consider the inlets of pleasure from five senses only, we may be sure that the same Being who created us could have given us five hundred, if He had pleased.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Blessing, Men, Perfect

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.134

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• There is an elasticity in the human mind, capable of bearing much, but which will not show itself, until a certain weight of affliction be put upon it; its powers may be compared to those vehicles whose springs are so contrived that they get on smoothly enough when loaded, but jolt confoundedly when they have nothing to bear.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Spring, Adversity, Mind

  Charles Caleb Colton (1823). “Remarks on the Talents of Lord Byron and the Tendencies of Don Juan”, p.199

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• Pedantry crams our heads with learned lumber and takes out our brains to make room for it.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Education, Teaching, Brain

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.300

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• In cases of doubtful morality, it is usual to say is there any harm in doing this? This question may sometimes be best answered by asking ourselves another; is there any harm in letting it alone?

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Asking, May, Usual

  Charles Caleb COLTON (1849). “L.P.”, p.238

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• We should have a glorious conflagration, if all who cannot put fire into their works would only consent to put their works into the fire.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Writing, Fire, Should Have

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.9

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• If you cannot avoid a quarrel with a blackguard, let your lawyer manage it, rather than yourself. No man sweeps his own chimney, but employs a chimney-sweeper, who has no objection to dirty work, because it is his trade.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Dirty, Men, Lawyer

  Charles Caleb COLTON (1849). “L.P.”, p.168

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• In most quarrels there is a fault on both sides. A quarrel may be compared to a spark, which cannot be produced without a flint, as well as steel. Either of them may hammer on wood forever; no fire will follow.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Fire, Forever, Hammers

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.205

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• Two things, well considered, would prevent many quarrels: first, to have it well ascertained whether we are not disputing about terms, rather than things; and, secondly, to examine whether that on which we differ is worth contending about.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Two, Firsts, Quarrels

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.206

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• What is earthly happiness? that phantom of which we hear so much, and see so little; whose promises are constantly given and constantly broken, but as constantly believed; that cheats us with the sound instead of the substance, and with the blossom instead of the fruit. Like Juno, she is a goddess in pursuit, but a cloud in possession.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Happiness, Clouds, Broken

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”

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• Of all the passions, jealousy is that which exacts the hardest service, and pays the bitterest wages. Its service is to watch the success of one's enemy; its wages to be sure of it.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Jealousy, Passion, Envy

  Charles Caleb Colton (1849). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words: Address--to Those who Think”, p.39

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• Total freedom from error is what none of us will allow to our neighbors; however we may be inclined to flirt a little with such spotless perfection ourselves.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Mistake, Flirting, Errors

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.25

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• Riches may enable us to confer favors, but to confer them with propriety and grace requires a something that riches cannot give.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Money, Giving, Grace

  Charles Caleb COLTON (1849). “L.P.”, p.214

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• Philosophy is a bully that talks loud when the danger is at a distant; but, the moment she is pressed hard by an enemy, she is nowhere to be found and leaves the brunt of the battle to be fought by her steady, humble comrade, religion.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Philosophy, Humble, Bully

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• The only things in which we can be said to have any property are our actions. Our thoughts may be bad, yet produce no poison; they may be good, yet produce no fruit. Our riches may be taken away by misfortune, our reputation by malice, our spirits by calamity, our health by disease, our friends by death. But our actions must follow us beyond the grave; with respect to them alone, we cannot say that we shall carry nothing with us when we die, neither that we shall go naked out of the world.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Respect, Taken, Healthy

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.38

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• He that has never suffered extreme adversity knows not the full extent of his own depravation.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Adversity, Extremes, Knows

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.23

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• Some reputed saints that have been canonized ought to have been cannonaded.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Atheism, Saint, Ought

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.139

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• Truth can hardly be expected to adapt herself to the crooked policy and wily sinuosities of worldly affairs; for truth, like light, travels only in straight lines.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Truth, Light, Lines

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”

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• The praise of the envious is far less creditable than their censure; they praise only that which they can surpass, but that which surpasses them they censure.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Envy, Praise, Envious

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.246

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• There are three difficulties in authorship; to write any thing worth the publishing — to find honest men to publish it — and to get sensible men to read it.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Writing, Men, Three

  "Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think".

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• The hate which we all bear with the most Christian patience is the hate of those who envy us.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Christian, Hate, Envy

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.114

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• The soundest argument will produce no more conviction in an empty head than the most superficial declamation; as a feather and a guinea fall with equal velocity in a vacuum.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Fall, Vacuums, Velocity

  Charles Caleb Colton (1849). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words: Address--to Those who Think”, p.5

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